Electronic distribution of information has gained in importance with the proliferation of personal computers, and has undergone a tremendous upsurge in popularity as the Internet has become widely available. With the widespread use of the Internet, it has become possible to distribute large, coherent units of information, such as books, using electronic technologies. Books and other printed works available through electronic technologies are commonly referred to as electronic books (“eBooks”). Typical eBook reader devices attempt to mimic the experience of reading a conventional paper book or other printed works through display of electronic information on one or more electronic displays. A typical eBook reader device is a handheld digital device having a liquid crystal display panel and enough memory and processing capability to store several eBooks. Such a device is capable of retrieving and displaying an eBook, in whole or in part, for reading.
There are some advantages to using an eBook reader device over conventional paper books or other printed works. An eBook reader device is often capable of storing a number of complete works. Therefore, an eBook reader device containing a number of stored works weighs significantly less than the same number of printed works. This makes an eBook reader a particularly attractive alternative to paper books for travel, educational purposes, and professional business use. Also, because eBooks do not require the use of paper products, they are generally offered at a lower price than their printed counterparts. Furthermore, the use of eBook reader devices in conjunction with eBooks may be beneficial to the ecosystem, by reducing a number of printed works produced using paper products.
To date, however, eBook readers and the use of eBooks in general have not achieved widespread consumer acceptance. This is mainly attributable to the design and implementation particulars of conventional eBook reader devices and the manner in which content usable with such devices is attainable.
The preceding description of conventional eBook reader devices was provided herein for contextual reasons only.